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Topic: Another Hive Beetle Post! (Read 1045 times)

I don't know where to start. The past two weeks have been brutal fighting the beetles. We see a few beetles all the time but in the last two weeks, I have seen more in one hive that I normally see in all my hives all summer! (I have 50 hives) It's not just my hives but all in the area. It is like we have been invaded. The traps are catching lots but we are loosing the battle with some hives.

Anyone else seeing this sudden invasion of beetles?

Battle weary from the trenches,

Steve

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Pulled the last of my honey supers last week. Doing good seeing one or two beetles in each hive, then on maybe the 4th hive I pop the top and maybe 50 to 100 beetles all together on the inner lid. So, I ran to go get the torch and smoke everything on the top of that hive. Real scary.

Steve, keep those things down your way. So far I am holding my own against them the usual two or three on to inner and maybe a few on the bottom board. Only had one that tried to get out of hand, a cutout. Did a tear down search and destroy mission and nipped it in the bud.I have come to the conclusion that beetles are in every hive. I see them in every cutout and mine. A few the bees can keep corraled but I'm still skeered of the burgers. I did a cutout a week ago that was one big slime ball. I don't ever want to see that in my boxes. So far I guess I've been lucky with no treatment, I treat them like I would moths on steroids. Keep a strong hive and barring that keep them crowded in as small a space that they can defend.

July, August and September are the worst months for SHB. It's an annual invasion of the masses. We have them yearround but they're extremely bad now. Need to get your traps replenished and installed by end of June, and keep them full of fresh gunk, whatever you use.